Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy - Report Example

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is concerned with the sporadic inhalation of 100 percent oxygen in aroom where the pressure of air is usually raised about 3 times more than the current air pressure of the environment. Despite of the fact that hyperbaric oxygen therapy has been used in the medical settings for years, it is still being considered as a controversial treatment by the medical instructors. In the last 20 years there has been a clarification regarding the mechanism of action of this therapy and a greater understanding has been build regarding its benefits among the individuals. However despite of the fact that substantial evidence is present regarding the therapeutic effects of the hyperbaric oxygen therapy, still many practitioners are unaware about its findings or maybe they are concerned about the controversies related to this therapy. Introduction Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is related to the inhalation of pure oxygen in a room that is pressurized. Hyperbaric treatment is considered to be an effective treatment for hazards related to scuba diving or decompression sickness. Other conditions that can be treated with this therapy involve bubbles of air present there in the blood vessel, some serious infections and wounds resulting from radiation injury and diabetes that doesn’t usually heal easily (Grim, Gottlieb, Boddie, & Batson, 2000). In a room where hyperbaric oxygen therapy is being performed, the air pressure is usually raised about 3 times more than the current air pressure of the environment. Under such conditions, when the pressure is raised about three times more, our lungs start consuming three times more oxygen at the normal air pressure. This oxygen is then carried by the blood through the body, which then stimulates the release of substances called the stem cells and the growth factors that foster healing (Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy, 2012). Discussion Importance of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in underwater work Sometimes the commercial divers have to spend days or even weeks in the hyperbaric chamber, carrying out important tasks under deep water. During these lengthy saturation dives the commercial divers have to relax, eat and sleep in these small and pressurized chambers at times when they are not even working under water. The commercial divers need to stay in these under pressurized chambers for avoiding compression and decompression sickness and also the other potential health related issues. As the divers get compressed and decompressed in the starting and end of a project, it leaves less strain on the bodies of the divers. This is where the divers need to understand the importance of the hyperbaric chamber. The hyperbaric chamber is of great significant for the commercial divers working underwater because it not only helps them to relax underwater but it also keeps them at same pressure as it was under water, for a little time until they return back to the surface. The pressure is maintained everywhere inside the hyperbaric chamber present underwater including the beds, toilets and the living space, which helps the commercial divers to survive underwater (What is it really like to live underwater? Life as a saturation diver, 2011). Research on hyperbaric oxygen therapy Cranton defines hyperbaric therapy as a medical treatment in which the patinet is allowed to lay down in tranparent airtight container having pressure more than the current air pressure of the environment. The patient present in this container inhales 100 percent pure oxygen. This treatment has showed encouraging results for a number of surgical and medical conditions either as a mean of primary or adjunctive treatment. It is also being using for treating other medical conditions that may still be considered experimental by some of the mainstream medical establishments (Cranton, 2012). When a patient inhales 100 percent oxygen at a pressure more than that of the environment, the hemoglobin present in the blood gets saturated and the blood often gets supersaturated by dissolving the oxygen present within the plasma. The patient can be administered with system oxygen from two different chambers i.e. type A which is multi-place and type B which is mono-place. Both these types can be used for treating dive injuries and for treating people who are in critical care or are ventilated (Hyperbaric oxygen therapy , 2013). Once a patient lies down in the chamber the door is closed. This whole process starts with the gradual circulation of oxygen and ends with decreasing the pressure of the chamber back to normal. It is then that the pressure starts to increase gradually, and this process is named as compression. The patient may feel a slight increase in temperature but this is just temporary. The technician remains close to the chamber throughout the treatment for adjusting the rate of compression according to the tolerance level of the patient. It is the responsibility of the technician to coach the patient on reliving the occupied sensation in his ears. Compression lasts for maximum 10-15 minutes depending on the fact that how effectively the patient clears his ears (Hyperbaric oxygen therapy, 2013). When the inside of the chamber reaches to its prescribed pressure, the sensation of fullness present in the ear eventually ceases and the patient is then allowed to rest or sleep for a while. The temperature in the chamber is same as that of the room. The patient is also allowed to watch TV, listen to music if he wants or talk to his family or friends via telecom during the therapy as it usually last for an hour. When the treatment is about to end the technician eventually decreases the temperature. This process is categorized as decompression and lasts for about 10 to 15 minutes. During the process of decompression a slight popping sensation occurs in the ears of the patient which as a result slightly decreases the pressure of the chamber. This popping sensation is considered to be normal adjustment. It may be considered similar to ascending in an air plane or driving at a higher altitude (Rabinowitz, Caplan, Mandell, & Bennett, 2009). Research suggests that there are several benefits attached to the hyperbaric oxygen therapy. It increases the blood circulation in the blood cells. It also promotes DNA signaling and DNA transcription. It also increases the number of messenger RNA and expression of proteins and hormones. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy increases the anti-inflammatory hormones that help curing inflammation. This therapy repairs genes and hormone; foster their growth and causes the regulation of hormone receptors. It also decreases apoptosis i.e. the cell death and enhances the killing of bacteria by white blood cells. It increases healing, bone density, healing of bone fracture and the concentration of oxygen in ischemic and hypoxic tissues (Cranton, 2012). Some researchers argue that the healing process may have occurred because of the withdrawal from the irregularly elevated oxygen rather than the oxygen itself. The reason behind the healing process is still unknown; however to be effective the intermittent of the hyperbaric oxygen therapy is necessary. The pressure, duration, dose, number of treatments and interval of the treatments must be tailored according to the process of treatment and the disease as well. The relative significance of the mechanism (as discussed above) is still unknown but its action at the genetic and DNA level is considered to be an important aspect for understanding the therapy. The medical injuries that are not being treated routinely with the help of hyperbaric oxygen therapy are strokes (of all kinds), traumatic brain injuries, and acute coma, near drowning and near hanging. Carton in his research discusses that the Medicare, Medicaid and medical insurance only pay for the conditions such as carbon mono-oxide poisoning, delayed radiation injury, gas or air embolism, diabetic foot wounds, crush injury, Central Retinal Arterial Occlusion, Severe Anemia, extensive Thermal Burns, Soft Tissue Infections, Decompression Sickness, Clostridial Myonecrosis and Myositis and sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss. However reimbursement occurs only if certain criteria are being met; otherwise the patient has to pay all the cost themselves (Clinical Policy Bulletin: Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT), 2012). There are no such negative effects associated with the treatment; however some patients do complain that they feel a “crackling” sensation in both their ears because of the absorption of oxygen present behind the eardrum into the blood stream. This can be relieved by clearing the area during the process of compression and decompression. Some patients also complain about feeling light headed for a little time immediately after the therapy but this happens only for a brief period of time and after that they can continue with their everyday activities such as driving or working. Concerning all these medical treatments and procedures; some of the potential after effects result from the exposure of the human body to hyperbaric oxygen. (Tibbles & Edelsberg, 2000) Not all the medications are compatible with the hyperbaric oxygen therapy. It is the responsibility of the technician to obtain the detailed medical history of the patient before starting the treatment. Each drug taken by the patient in the past must be considered independently in relation with the hyperbaric oxygen therapy, any changes identified must be indicated to the patient and the technician must prescribe to the doctor for advice. Research suggests that there are some commonly used medications that may face potentiate side effects from hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Such medications must be substituted or limited with some other drug. These medications may include high dose of prednisone and aspirin, alcohol and morphine within the 7-8 hours of treatment (Babul & Rhodes, 2000). Special precautions are also required by the individuals who have been taking pain medications, insulin, tranquilizers, anticoagulant and high dose of corticosteroid and prednisone. It is the duty of the doctor or the nurse to brief it to the technician about the precautions that should be taken during the therapy. Patients during the course of this therapy will also be instructed to take high dose nutritional supplements rich in vitamin E and other antioxidants. Conclusion Hyperbaric oxygen therapy can also be addressed as “therapy conducted for searching disease”. There is very little scientific evidence present regarding its past use of this therapy. It was because of the discovery of the beneficial chemical and cellular results, which supported the rationale for administering the hyperbaric oxygen therapy as a primary treatment in individuals suffering from severe decompression sickness, carbon monoxide poisoning and arterial gas embolism and also as an adjunction therapy for treating and preventing  clostridial-myonecrosis, osteoradionecrosis, etc. It is because of the psychological effects of this treatment that it is used for treating severe anemia at times when transfusion cannot be considered an option. References What is it really like to live underwater? Life as a saturation diver. (2011). Retrieved from Divers Academy: http://www.diversacademy.edu/content/what-it-really-live-underwater-life-saturation-diver Clinical Policy Bulletin: Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT). (2012). Retrieved from Aetna: http://www.aetna.com/cpb/medical/data/100_199/0172.html Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy. (2012). Retrieved from http://www.cancer.org/treatment/treatmentsandsideeffects/complementaryandalternativemedicine/herbsvitaminsandminerals/hyperbaric-oxygen-therapy Hyperbaric oxygen therapy. (2013). Retrieved from Medline Plus: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002375.htm Hyperbaric oxygen therapy . (2013). Retrieved from Mayo Clinic Staff: http://www.mayoclinic.org/tests-procedures/hyperbaric-oxygen-therapy/basics/definition/prc-20019167 Babul, S., & Rhodes, E. (2000). The role of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in sports medicine. PubMed, 395-403. Cranton, E. M. (2012). What is Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy? Retrieved from Elmer M. Cranton Grim, P. S., Gottlieb, L. J., Boddie, A., & Batson, E. (2000). Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy. The Journal of the American Medical Association , 263(16):2216-2220. Rabinowitz, R., Caplan, E., Mandell, G., & Bennett, J. (2009). Principles and Practice of Infectious Diseases. Philadelphia: Elsevier Churchill Livingstone. Tibbles, P. M., & Edelsberg, J. S. (2000, June 20). Hyperbaric-Oxygen Therapy. The new England Journal of Medicine, 1642-1648. Read More